2013 Nissan Rogue SV FWD Review by Carey Russ

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS

Nissan's Rogue has always been an honest compact crossover, with no
attempt at a rough, tough, off-road demeanor. There's the body-on-frame
Xterra SUV for that, and I doubt that there's much cross-shopping between
the two. The Rogue, based on the same "C" platform as the Sentra sedan,
follows the comfort and convenience-oriented crossover formula, and well.
It has been successful since its model year 2008 debut, and, apart from a
styling freshening for 2011 has been little changed.

No major changes were or are needed. With a 2.5-liter, 170 horsepower
four-cylinder engine matched to a continuously-variable transmission (CVT)
and front- or all-wheel drive, the Rogue has no problem dealing with daily
traffic or steep grades. It's small enough to be easily parked, yet has
plenty of room inside for four or five people and cargo, with the usual
crossover versatility. The wide-ratio CVT allows low low "gear" for quick
acceleration in traffic, and four-wheel vented disc brakes stop just as
quickly. The CVT's high "high gear" means good highway fuel economy. Nissan
claims 28 mpg, and I actually saw that -- and not at a simulated 50 mph on
level ground on a chassis dynamometer, either.

2013 Nissan Rogue SV

Trim levels are now S, SV, and "SV with SL Package". Why not just plain
SL? All can be had with front- or all-wheel drive, so no reason to have to
buy the most expensive model if you need AWD. Changes for 2013 are mostly
to option package contents, to take advantage of the latest in connectivity
and infotainment technology. The major difference between the 2013 SV with
SL that I've been driving for the past week and the previous SL models
driven (2008 and 2009) is that the navigation system, an add-on Garmin back
in `09, is now Nissan's own integrated system. And instead of a plain
backup camera, the SL Package now includes the AroundView™ monitor,
as well as the usual upscale comfort and convenience items.

AroundView takes the backup camera to the next level by adding cameras
to the underside of each outside mirror, with a fourth one in front. In
reverse, the rear view shows in the main part of the five-inch monitor
screen on the dash, with a simulated overhead view of the ground around the
car to the right side. Press the button on the console, and you get a
larger image of the ground to the right plus rear (in reverse) or front
(D), very useful when parking in a tight spot. Or when your front passenger
is about to step out into the dark unknown at night. That's not a
necessity, but it is one of the more useful bits of electronic gadgetry
available. And the Rogue is the only vehicle in its class to get it, adding
a bit more convenience to a comfortable, usefully-sized, and economical
crossover.

APPEARANCE: As the smaller sibling to Nissan's midsize, real
world-oriented Murano, the Rogue unsurprisingly uses a similar design.
Proportions are a bit chunkier, in the manner of a not-quite-grown animal,
but it looks right, not fat. It's also good and stable in high winds, so
not only does it look aerodynamically correct, it is aerodynamically
correct.

COMFORT: With good-looking materials and first-rate fit and finish, the
Rogue's interior is a pleasant place to spend a day. The SV gets a
power-adjustable driver's seat, including lumbar adjustment, and
manually-adjustable front passenger seat that folds flat, forward, for
those times you may need to carry something long inside. The SL Package
adds leather seating surfaces, two-level heat for the front, and a leather
rim for the steering wheel. The audio system is upgraded to a seven-speaker
surround-sound BoseŽ, with AM, FM, and XM/Sirius radio, and CD, plus
auxiliary jack and USB input. The SV's 4.3-inch color display is upgraded
to five inches, with the navigation system. It all makes for an upscale
experience at a models price. Interior storage is highlighted by a huge
glovebox and large console box that can also serve as an armrest. There is
plenty of head- and leg-room in the rear seat. The cushion is contoured for
the two outboard passengers but a third person can fit in the middle, if
small and for short distances. All Rogues have a 60/40 folding rear seat;
SV and above add the fold-down front passenger seat for further usefulness.
The tailgate is counterbalanced and has hydraulic struts for easy lifting.
There is a small amount of storage and a space-saver spare tire under the
load floor.

SAFETY: The Rogue's unibody structure is built with a strong safety cage
around the passenger compartment and front and rear crumple zones.
Dual-stage front, seat -mounted front side, and full-length side curtain
airbags, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and engine immobilizer are all
standard passive safety features. For active safety, all Rogues have
four-wheel antilock vented disc brakes with electronic brake force
distribution (EBD) and vehicle dynamic control (VDC) with traction control
(TCS). It has received five-star frontal driver and side impact, and
four-star frontal passenger and rollover ratings from NHTSA.

RIDE AND HANDLING: The Nissan "C" platform provides a sturdy and rigid
base for the Rogue's fully-independent front strut, rear multilink
suspension. The suspension tuning emphasizes comfort, and so has good
compliance but with a minimum amount of body motion in normal driving. The
electrically-assisted power steering avoids the numbness often found in
such systems, and is not overly light to the touch. The Rogue works well
when the pavement is poor, and interior noise levels are low. Stability in
strong winds is good. It's not an off-road vehicle, but 8.3 inches of
clearance should work on forest roads -- and deal well with the curbs,
potholes, and debris that is part of city life.

PERFORMANCE: The 2.5-liter aluminum alloy, twincam, 16-valve inline
four-cylinder engine under the hood provides plenty of power for the
Rogue's mission in life. Vital statistics: 170 horsepower at 6000 rpm and
175 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm. As in the Murano, the secret to the
Rogue's performance and economy is its continuously-variable transmission
(CVT). Integrated computer controls keep the engine and transmission in
their most efficient ranges as much as possible. Fuel economy is one
reward. Another is smooth, quiet operation, as the CVT never shifts between
discrete gears. When more acceleration is desired, it's a simple matter to
either press the "Sport" button on the console for a change in ratio
programming or to shift manually (into software-generated virtual gears) by
means of the shift lever. During time in earlier Rogues, mostly around town
and on secondary roads, I averaged 23 mpg. This time, with more highway
driving, I got a bit over 27 for the week -- not bad at all for a vehicle
this size.